Locking device for vacuum cleaner tube



May 9, 1967 J. TIEST LOCKING DEVICE FOR VACUUM CLEANER TUBE 2, Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 14, 1964 IN VEN TOR.

JOHANNES TIEST AGENT May 9, 1967 J. TIEST 3,318,619

LOCKING DEVICE FOR VACUUM CLEANER TUBE Filed Dec. 14, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOHANNES TiEST AGENT United States Patent 3,318,619 LOCKING DEVICE FOR VACUUM CLEANER TUBE Johannes Tiest, The Hague, Netherlands, assignor to North American Philips Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 417,878 Claims priority, application Netherlands, Dec. 16, 1963, 301,923 2 Claims. (Cl. 285-7) This invention relates to devices for locking the end of a tube inserted into a tubular body and which tube end has a groove into which a locking member connected to the tubular body can snap.

Locking devices of this kind are used, for example, in domestic apparatus such as vacuum cleaners in which a suction tubing has to be connected to a housing. Known locking devices have the disadvantage that either the lock cannot withstand a tensile force exterted on the tube end, or the path to be covered by the lock for eliminating the locked position becomes very long. In the former case the device operates unsatisfactorily, in the latter case it is complicated of construction and bulky.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple solution to this problem, which is achieved in that the locking member is movably arranged in an indentation in the tubular body, which indentation is at an acute angle to the axis of the body and extends from without to the interior towards the insertion aperture, and in that the locking member is subject to the action of a spring which tends to maintain the locking member in its locked position, so that, upon inserting the tube end into the aperture, the locking member is first pushed back and then snaps into the groove, whereas upon inserting a tensile force on the locked tube end, the locking member is pulled further to the interior and more firmly into the groove.

One advantageous embodiment is characterized in that the locking member is constituted by a length of metal wire which forms part of the spring which tends to maintain the locking member in its locked position.

A further simplification of the construction is thus obtained, since the wire shape of the lock is very favorable for the envisaged purpose.

In one preferred embodiment the spring has substantially the shape of a U one limb of which is the locking member extending through the groove and the extension of which limb is connected to an operating member projecting from the tubular body, whereas the end of the other limb is rigidly connected to a fixed point on the tubular body.

Owing to this design, a simple operation is obtained in addition to a further simplification which needs the use of only a small number of components.

In order that the invention may be readily carried into effect, it will now the described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of this embodiment after removal of the tubular body;

FIG. 3 is a sectional View of a second embodiment; and

FIG. 4 is a view on the bottom of this embodiment.

In the first embodiment the reference numeral 1 indicates a tubular body which is arranged in a housing 2 and constitutes an entrance aperture in this housing. The body 1 has an indentation 3 which lies in a plane at an acute angle to the centre line of the tube part 1 and which is arranged so that the most inward portion thereof lies near to the entrance aperture. A lock 4, which forms part of a substantially U-shaped clamp 5 and 3,318,619 Patented May 9, 1967 which constitutes one limb thereof, is movable in the indentation 3. Particularly, the lock 4, is one of the limbs of the continuous spring wire clamp 5. The clamp 5 comprises a first generally U shaped portion, limbs 8 and 4, and an inverted U shaped portion, limbs 20 and 4, with the limb 2i) engaging a push button 6. The clamp 5 is preferably made from steel wire. The limb 20 on the inverted U shaped portion of the clamp 5 co-acts with said push button 6, which for this purpose has a sloping surface 7. On pushing the knob 6, the lock 4 moves in the indentation towards the outer surface of the tube part 1. The other limb 8 of the clamp 5 is rigidly connected to the housing 2 by means of a clamping piece 9 and a screw. 7

One end of a tube 10, such as seen in FIG. 3, which has a groove 11, may be inserted into the aperture 1 of the housing 2. Said groove 11 may extend throughout the periphery of the tube 10 if it must be capable of turning with respect to the housing 2. If this need not be the case the groove may alternatively extend for a small part of the periphery. When the tube end 10 is inserted into the aperture of the tubular body 1 the lock 4 is first pushed to the exterior of body 1 until it snaps into groove 11 due to the spring action. If, now, the tube 10 is pulled to remove it from body 1, the lock 4 is drawn further to the interior of groove 3 of body 1 and tube 10 is more firmly clamped in the groove 11.

In the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference numerals. In this embodiment the invention is adapted to connect an elbow 13 attached to a vacuum cleaner housing wherein the limb 4 of the clamp 8 is extended to the exterior of said housing and has in situ a push button 12. This embodiment is usable in cases where the tubular body 1 instead of being incorporated in a housing 2, projects above it as an elbow 13.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for locking a pair of tubular parts in telescoped relation, one of said tubular parts comprising a body member having a slot therein at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of said body member, clamping means connected with said body member, said clamping means including a locking member in said slot extending into the interior of said body member, a second of said tubular parts being telescoped within said body member, said second tubular part having a groove receiving said locking member for locking said tubular parts together and means for withdrawing said locking member from the interior of said slot for unlocking said tubular parts, said clamping member comprising a continuous spring wire having a first upright generally U shaped portion and an inverted U shaped portion, each U shaped portion having a common limb, the limb end of said inverted U shaped portion being connected with said means for withdrawing said lock-ing member, the other limb end of said upright U shaped portion being fixed on said body member, said common limb defining said locking member.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for withdrawing said locking member comprises a push button having a cam means engageable with said limb end of said inverted U shaped portion of said clamping member.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 1/ 1959 France. 2/191-6 Germany. 

1. APPARATUS FOR LOCKING A PAIR OF TUBULAR PARTS IN TELESCOPED RELATION, ONE OF SAID TUBULAR PARTS COMPRISING A BODY MEMBER HAVING A SLOT THEREIN AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID BODY MEMBER, CLAMPING MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID CLAMPING MEANS INCLUDING A LOCKING MEMBER IN SAID SLOT EXTENDING INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID BODY MEMBER, A SECOND OF SAID TUBULAR PARTS BEING TELESCOPED WITHIN SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID SECOND TUBULAR PART HAVING A GROOVE RECEIVING SAID LOCKING MEMBER FOR LOCKING SAID TUBULAR PARTS TOGETHER AND MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING SAID LOCKING MEMBER FROM THE INTERIOR OF SAID SLOT FOR UNLOCKING SAID TUBULAR PARTS, SAID CLAMPING MEMBER COMPRISING A CONTINUOUS SPRING WIRE HAVING A FIRST UPRIGHT GENERALLY U SHAPED PORTION AND AN INVERTED U SHAPED PORTION, EACH U SHAPED 